It may have been the best game of Allen Bailey’s career, but it unfortunately came in the form of a 16-10 loss to the Vikings on Sunday afternoon.

Without defensive lineman Dontari Poe, who was out with a high ankle sprain, Bailey and the Chiefs defense managed to shut down Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who finished with 26 carries for just 60 yards.

In the first half alone, Bailey had 7 tackles, 3 of which were for loss, 1 sack, 1 quarterback hit and a forced fumble.

He was all over the place for the Chiefs defense.

It’s the second-lowest yards-per-carry average for Peterson since 2009 (min. 25 carries).

Bailey now has 4.5 sacks on the season, which is just a half-sack shy of his single-season career best of 5 (2014).

Chiefs DE Allen Bailey collected two sacks and four tackles (three solo) in Sunday's game against the Texans.

Bailey finished 2014 with career-highs in tackles (41) and sacks (five), and he's certainly off to a good start in 2015. He'll look to keep things going in Week 2 when the Chiefs square off with a division rival in the Broncos.

The Kansas City Chiefs are starting to feel the effects of pounding on each other everyday in practice. On Tuesday, trainer Rick Burkholder took the microphone after practice, something that always has bad news right around the corner. Burkholder explained that rookie linebacker Justin March has a torn meniscus, while Allen Bailey and Eric Fisher both have high-ankle sprains.

As for Bailey, hopefully his ankle is alright. We haven’t heard anything about how it was injured or the severity. There was no mention of it throughout practice, so it is tough to say. Ultimately, time is on Kansas City’s side. The next three games mean absolutely nothing, so getting our first-string veterans back for them is pointless.

It became a common sight during one-on-one pass rush drills the past few weeks of Chiefs training camp. No. 97 in the white jersey, all 300-plus pounds of him, using his comic book-ish combination of mass and strength to put an offensive lineman on skates with his bull rush.

It mattered little who was lined up across from Allen Bailey. Even Ben Grubbs, the two-time Pro Bowler who has immediately become the Chiefs’ best lineman, was put flat on his back.

“You’ve got to start off with that,” said Bailey, a defensive lineman. “I mean, you’ve always got to start off with something to make them sit. So my bull, I worked on for a good year. So once I got it right … they know it’s coming but they still can’t stop it at times.”

You might think this would cause some good-natured complaining from Bailey’s offensive line counterparts in practice.

Perhaps that’s why Chiefs coach Andy Reid — when asked if he enjoyed watching Bailey’s bull rush — simply started nodding his head and chuckling before answering in the affirmative.

“Yeah, he is a bull — he’s a strong guy,” said Reid, who regularly watches the cut ups of one-on-one pass-rush drills. “To be built like he is — that big and proportional — the way he is put together is something.

“He’s a strong human being and he’s even a better person than he is a football player, which makes it great. He brings intensity every day, works his tail off, and never says anything. I love watching him.”

The offensive linemen who have to line up across from Bailey and block his bull rush are understandably less enthusiastic.

“It’s explosive, to say the least,” rookie center Mitch Morse said. “He gets down in this coil, he really does. He gets down in this (stance) and you’re like ‘Oh, here it comes, bro.’

“But he’ll do that and hit you with the quick swim, too. So if you’re not in perfect position, it’s going to be ugly.”

Part of this is, again, is because of Bailey’s combination of size and strength. A third-round pick in 2011, Bailey entered the NFL as an athletic 278-pounder. He’s always thought of himself as a smaller guy — he wanted to be an inside linebacker at Miami and moved to defensive end as an upperclassman — and even though he continues to grow larger, he’s managed to maintain most of his athleticism.

“I was avoiding 300 my whole life, honestly,” Bailey said with a cackle. “Through college, through my first couple of years in the league, I was avoiding 300.“But my body, you know, got used to it. Made it do what it do. I couldn’t deny it anymore. I tried to deny it as long as I can.”

Now, the 6-foot-3 Bailey says he’s about 302 pounds, a little more than last year, when he opened camp at 293 pounds in an effort to be more stout against the run. And it’s all muscle.

“I carry it like a small guy,” Bailey said. “People try to guess my weight. I went to the county fair a couple years ago. You know that little game where they guess your weight before you step on the scale? A dude said I was 275. I got on there, I was 291.”

But don’t think Bailey’s bull rush prowess as simple as it being one giant guy bowling over other giant guy. Bailey’s technique with the move is there, too.

“I had to develop the hat and hand placement with the bull rush — it’s all about that,” Bailey said. “Sometimes you can be too high and you lose power, or you can be too low with your hat and it will pull you down.”

Scary thing is, Bailey — who set career highs last season with 41 tackles and five sacks — is confident he hasn’t hit his ceiling as a football player.

The Chiefs apparently agreed, signing Bailey to a four-year, $25 million deal last October that kept him from exploring free agency in March.

“He’s a young guy and every day he’s going to give you work — that’s how he approaches it,” Reid said, citing Bailey’s high-effort play. “He’s a pro and you don’t mind paying those guys. That’s what it’s about; for them to make a living for themselves and their families for now and for the rest of their life. The ones that come to work every day and prepare like he does — that’s a treat to pay those guys.”

Now Bailey has to earn his money, especially with two-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Dontari Poe out for an undetermined amount of time.

Bailey will again be a constant on the Chiefs’ interior in their nickel and dime packages, and he’s confident he won’t be a won’t be a one-trick pony on passing downs, either.

“I’ve got other things I can add to it,” Bailey said of the bull rush. “You always want three good, main rushes you can always go to. You don’t need six or seven rushes. You need three, and you’re good.”

Bailey, understandably, didn’t want to name is other go-to moves, but insisted they’re in his arsenal.

“Yeah, I’m working on them,” Bailey said. “And they’re all coming off the bull rush.”

It's always nice to see local athletes not only make it to the professional level, but also come back home to give back....practically all of them do, but this morning it was Kansas City Chief and Macintosh County Academy grad Allen Bailey's turn to put on a show for area children. He did not disappoint.

The whistles blew, the kids ran and jumped, even some of the adults got in on the action. Good time had by all Saturday morning at the Second Annual Allen Bailey Football Camp at Macintosh County Academy. "I did it a couple of years ago." Bailey said. "But it was small. Little kids. Two players, me and another player. Now I got 12 of us. Good spread from everywhere around the league."

The goal here isn't so much to find and/or recruit college athletes, not at all. It's to show area children a good time. Have them rub shoulders with some current NFL players and walk away maybe wanting to getting a little more involved in athletics as they grow older. "My teammate from college came down to Miami. He had about 100 plus kids. I saw how it was with the staff. So I talked to the lady. Get it organized, a couple of months to get it right. Found sponsorship, we were good to go." Bailey said.

The support from the school and the community has been rock solid. The camp was sponsored in part by several local businesses The kids and the instructors all got t-shirts, and they all had a great time. "It's good for the community, period." Bailey said. "We've got people helping that aren't coaches that are volunteering. One great community giving back. Especially with these kids. Give the kids hope, we've got NFL stars out here. One day you could be like them too." he added.

And of course, like any other camp put on by a current NFL player, he usually invites some of his friends. Miami Dolphins starters Lamar Miller and Olivier Vernon were on hand. As was one of the shining young stars for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Wide Receiver Allen Hurns. "I played with him (Bailey) at the University of Miami. To just come out here and play with the kids. Give them a positive role model. I know as a child." Hurns said. "Older guys came back as far as Santana Moss and those guys like that. So I know how much of a positive impact it is on the people's life." he added.

In the 100 days leading up to signing day 2015, RecruitingNation will be looking back at our ESPN recruiting rankings from 2006 to the present and counting down the best player of the past 10 years at each ranking position, No. 100 to No. 1.

Allen Bailey, No. 20 in 2007 class

Bailey came out of tiny McIntosh County Academy in Darian, Georgia, as one of the nation's most talented athletes playing both linebacker and fullback. He grew up in a very small town of 60 residents (Hog Hammock) on Sapelo Island. He picked Miami (FL) over offers from Alabama, Florida, Clemson and Georgia on Feb. 5 of 2007. He was a member of the Hurricanes' 2007 class that included Graig Cooper and Leonard Hankerson.

Bailey played in all 12 games as a freshman, mostly on special teams. He did see action at linebacker in two contests.

Bailey would make the move to defensive end as a sophomore. He played in 12 games with four starts recording 36 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and a team leading five sacks.

As a junior, Bailey would become one of college football’s top defensive ends, recording 34 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and seven sacks earning All-ACC First Team honors following the 2009 season.

Bailey would start all 13 games as a senior at defensive end, also flashing the ability slid inside and be an effective pass-rusher on third down. He had 45 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and seven sacks. He earned All-ACC Second Team honors.

Bailey was selected in the third round, No. 86 overall, by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2011 NFL draft where he still plays.

Two key players who missed the Chiefs’ last game while recovering from concussions might be on track to play this week against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Cornerback Phillip Gaines and defensive end Allen Bailey were full participants in Wednesday’s practice. This marks the first time in two weeks Bailey, who suffered his concussion Nov. 30 against Denver, has practiced.

Gaines, meanwhile, suffered his second concussion of the season in practice Dec. 10. He was a limited participant in practice two days later but did not play Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

Chiefs defensive end Allen Bailey has been diagnosed with a concussion, the team announced. Bailey managed four total tackles before coming out of the game with the injury, including one tackle for loss.

One day this summer, while the Chiefs were still training in St. Joseph, Allen Bailey walked over to his locker to gather a few things. He’d just left a defensive meeting, and was about to head back to his room, when all of a sudden, he saw a green, foreign object in his locker.

A doll — actually, an Incredible Hulk doll, to be exact.

“I saw the thing, and then I squeezed it — because you know it makes noises or whatever,” Bailey recently recalled with a chuckle. “I just laughed because (my teammates) were laughing, too.”

The culprit, it turns out, was Britt Reid, the son of Chiefs coach Andy Reid. Britt is a defensive quality control coach for the Chiefs, but he’s also a comics fan who shares his name with the alter ego of the Green Hornet, a popular DC Comics character.

“He always makes fun of us, like which one of us would be action figures,” Bailey said. “Like, I’m the Hulk, (Dontari) Poe and (Mike) DeVito would be the Juggernaut and Jaye (Howard) is The Thing.”

Poe, DeVito and Howard earned those comparisons because of their considerable size and strength, but Bailey’s teammates say the Hulk fits him best.

“That’s him, man, that’s him,” Howard said. “Before the game, they even give him the green Gatorade. That’s the Hulk right there, man. He’s cut. I’ve never seen anything like it. His strength, I don’t care how big a dude is, he can find a way to get him on the ground, just throw him and shed him.”

Linebacker Dee Ford took the comparison even farther.

“It’s perfect,” Ford said. “Looks like the Hulk. Plays like the Hulk. He’s a complete player, man. He’s powerful, fast. He’s just a freak. You see him do certain stuff … there’s a select few guys in the league like that.”

The Chiefs’ front office agrees, apparently. Listed at 6 feet 3 and 288 pounds, Bailey has shown enough promise that the team opted to keep him from hitting free agency next March by signing him to a four-year, $25 million extension with $15 million in guaranteed money and a $10 million signing bonus.

That’s good money, particularly for a the fourth-year pro and first-year starter who, by all accounts, isn’t the best interior defender on his own team (that honor would go to Poe). But in today’s pass-happy NFL, three-down linemen are important to provide scheme versatility, and the Chiefs believe Bailey’s age — he’s just 25 — plus combination of size, strength smarts and athleticism, equal a high ceiling.

“He’s a smart kid, and so that’s carried over into his play,” Andy Reid said. “He’s really taken to learning the scheme and the concepts the offenses are throwing at him. So aptitude wise, he’s able to handle that and put it to use in play.”

Reid added that Bailey has always had the physical part, and he’s certainly right about that. After all, Britt Reid isn’t the first person to bestow the “Hulk” nickname upon Bailey.

“Ever since I was a freshman (in college), I’ve been called that sometimes,” said Bailey, who went to the University of Miami. “You know, because I wasn’t the average-sized freshman.”

Bailey’s childhood was unconventional in some significant ways — he grew up on a tiny Georgia Island with two paved roads, no cellphone services, no supermarket and no police — but he did have at least one thing in common with other football-loving kids in the South.

“In high school, I wanted to be like Ray Lewis,” Bailey said.

After a ballyhooed prep career in which he starred as a 6-foot-4, 252-pound linebacker, Bailey received offers from Alabama, Florida and Georgia. But he settled on Miami, Lewis’ alma mater, which promised him an opportunity to play at his idol’s position.

“I had the ability to run,” Bailey said. “I was good.”

Only, Bailey kept growing. Under the supervision of a collegiate weight-training program, his powerful legs and massive upper body only expanded. After spending his freshman year as a contributor on special teams, Bailey was convinced by Hurricanes coach Randy Shannon and defensive line coach Clint Hurtt to move to defensive end.

“A gift and a curse,” Bailey joked.

It turned out to be a good decision, as he grew into a two-year starter who finished his career with 103 tackles and 12 sacks.

He was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft, but that proved to be a rude awakening. On this level, everyone was strong, and everyone was quick. Often, the difference between making the play and missing it is a combination of instincts, confidence and knowledge of assignments.

Bailey, who had played in a 4-3 defense his entire life, was tasked with playing another new position — defensive end in a 3-4 defense.

“It took me some years just to get comfortable in the 3-4, understand two-gapping,” Bailey said. “I’m used to firing off and having one responsibility in a gap.”

In Bailey’s first two NFL seasons, he recorded 11 tackles and one sack in 26 games and seemed to be at risk during the Chiefs’ regime change from general manager Scott Pioli and coach Romeo Crennel to John Dorsey and Andy Reid.

But Bailey showed signs of improvement last season in new coordinator Bob Sutton’s defense, which sometimes calls on players to attack gaps.

He quickly emerged as the team’s best interior pass-rushing option next to Poe, and while he only had one sack, he had 18 hurries — tied for 18th in the league among 3-4 defensive ends and 11 more than starter Tyson Jackson, who left for Atlanta in free agency.

“I think everybody in the building felt like this guy can do this job,” Sutton said. “He (was) on his way up, and if he just keeps grinding away at this and working hard at it, we can get a real football player here.”

Bailey was eager for the opportunity but knew there were others waiting in the wings, including free-agent signee Vance Walker, who joined the Chiefs on a three-year, $13 million deal in March.

So last offseason, Bailey tried a meal plan for the first time in hopes of adding good weight. He ate burgers, chicken, steak and vegetables, and by the time he reported for camp, he weighed in at 293 pounds — up from the 283 he played at in 2013.

“I was afraid at first like, maybe my body won’t be able to move as quickly as I have,” Bailey said. “But during OTAs and camp, my body adapted to it.”

He soon found the extra weight helped him anchor against the 330-pound men he faced in the trenches. He not only managed to hold off Walker for the starting job — playing 541 snaps to Walker’s 106 — he has thrived.

In 10 games, Bailey already has four sacks — three more than last year — and 11 hurries, the same number as Poe. Against the run, Bailey’s had good and bad moments, but overall, Sutton says he’s turned into “a real effective” first- and second-down player.

“I think the area that he’s really improved on is his technique,” Sutton added. “He’s really taken that to heart. … I think those two elements, technique and maybe the additional weight, has helped him become a more patient run player and good run player throughout the course of the season.”

Add this to Bailey’s freakish athleticism, and it’s not hard to see why the team considers him to be an ascending player.

“Yeah, he’s chiseled,” Reid said. “Every defensive lineman is going to get out of position sometime. That’s just going to happen. Very few of them can recover and get themselves back into position, and he can do that because of the athleticism.”

This isn’t lip service, by the way. The Chiefs have just $2.8 million in cap room this season, which means it will be difficult for them to extend star outside linebacker Justin Houston’s contract during the season, barring a restructure or two.

While that likely is an indicator of how far apart the Chiefs and Houston are on a new deal, Bailey’s deal is also an indicator of how the team really feels about him.

“Every week he gets a little bit better,” Reid said. “I think the coaches feel good about it, and (Dorsey) feels good about it, and I trust John and the job he does.”So does Sutton, who was thrilled to retain Bailey’s services.

“I was happy, you know,” Sutton said. “Why wouldn’t you be, coaching him? That’s an exciting thing. It’s certainly well deserved. He’s really made a tremendous amount of progress starting last year. You can start to see some of the potential that was there.”

Bailey is every bit as happy as his bosses are about the new deal.

One reason is because he was spooked by the recent season-ending injury to Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer.

“It was a great deal at the same time,” Bailey said, “but I heard about that happening and I was like, ‘Wow, you never know. Any snap, anything can happen.’”

Bailey does not have big plans for his money, at least not yet, though he plans on buying his mother a truck. The thought of it brings a smile to his face, one his teammates have seen plenty.

Turns out that while Bailey’s size and athleticism more than live up to his “Hulk” nickname, his friendly and laid-back disposition does not.

“He’s one of the nicest guys I know, and I’ve had my locker around him the last couple of years,” linebacker Josh Martin said. “A great guy. Laid back, mellow. But when it’s time to play, obviously, he makes a difference.”

Likewise, Ford said Bailey was one of the players who showed him the ropes when he first arrived in Kansas City in May, but added that you shouldn’t mistake his kind, quiet side for weakness on the field. Bailey, he said, is not one of those players who needs to play angry to play well.

“That doesn’t have to be his personality for him to be physical,” Ford said.

So yes, Bailey says, a handful of his teammates still call him Hulk. The doll Britt Reid gave him sits in his locker every day, and every week, either Bailey or a member of the equipment staff packs it up and places it in his game-day locker — a not-so-subtle reminder of what the Chiefs are paying him to be from now on.

“Yeah, I call him Hulk,” Howard said with a mischievous grin. “But now, his new name is Big Money.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It has taken almost eight years for Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Allen Bailey to find a home on the football field.

After four seasons of being moved to different positions while playing for the University of Miami Hurricanes, and then three more years of being a jack of all trades on the Kansas City defensive line, Bailey has spent the 2014 season playing left defensive end and only left defensive end. It has been a motivator for him and revelation for the Chiefs as they try to repeat their postseason position from last season.

"I found a home," Bailey said as he prepared to play a Thursday night game against the Oakland Raiders. "I know I feel more comfortable. I think I've been able to contribute."

The Chiefs obviously agree with that assessment - last week they finalized a four-year contract extension with the former third-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft. It's a $25 million deal with $15 million in guaranteed money, including a $10 million signing bonus.

Bailey is one of the faceless players who have lifted the Chiefs to the upper level of the league's defenses. After 10 games, Kansas City is No. 8 in fewest yards allowed and No. 1 against the pass. The Chiefs are No. 2 in fewest points allowed. Pro Bowl defenders like safety Eric Berry, nose tackle Dontari Poe and outside linebackers Justin Houston and Tamba Hali are known around the league.

But, it has been players like free safety Husain Abdullah, slot cornerback Chris Owens, inside linebacker Josh Mauga and Bailey that have lifted their play and made coordinator Bob Sutton's defense the engine that has driven the team to a 7-3 record and a share of first place in the AFC West.

In 10 games, Bailey has taken part in 29 total tackles, just one less than he had all of last season. He has four sacks, or two more than he produced through his first three seasons in the league. Bailey has been credited with seven pressures on the quarterback, also two more than he had in his previous years.

"He's really made a tremendous amount of progress, starting last year," said Sutton. "I just think the more he's played, the better he's got and I think the arrows really point up on him. He's made himself into a real effective first and second down player. We always thought he had the skill to be effective on third down because he's got speed and he's got range.

"I think he's just really become a much better all-around football player."

Bailey is a native of Hog Hammock, a community on Sapelo Island, just off the coast of Georgia, where he commuted to school not only by bus, but a ferry. Gifted with one of those chiseled and athletic bodies, Bailey ended up with the Hurricanes, where he played 50 games and made multiple starts at left and right defensive end and left defensive tackle.

That story continued through the first three seasons with the Chiefs, as Bailey played for three head coaches and three defensive coordinators. Sutton, head coach Andy Reid and general manager John Dorsey liked what they saw from Bailey last year and made the decision to not pursue starting defensive end Tyson Jackson, who signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons. The coaches indicated to him that Jackson's spot was his for the taking. Bailey added some weight, grabbed the position and has not let go.

Now, he has a home, a new contract and he's a major player for a defense that faces some strong offenses in the last month of the season like Denver, Arizona, Pittsburgh and San Diego.

The Chiefs Defense hasn’t allowed a rushing touchdown all season, including a goal-line stand in the fourth quarter on Sunday that helped them protect a 24-20 lead and turn it into a victory.

Bailey was also at the tip of the spear when the Chiefs stuffed Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch on a fourth-and-1 later in the fourth quarter, a stop that pushed Kansas City even closer to its seventh win of the season and continued a strong 2014 season for the 2011 third-round pick. It’s been such a strong season that some may wonder why Bailey gave up the chance to hit the open market in favor of a four-year, $25 million extension that he signed with the Chiefs on Saturday.

After Sunday’s game, Bailey explained that seeing Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer tear his ACL had an impact on his decision to take the money now rather than wait to see if he could make more after the season.

“I saw the Carson Palmer incident,” Bailey said, via Peter King of MMQB.com. “That was an eye-opener. Anything can happen, on any play. I decided to do it now. Plus, this is a great place for me. I love the family atmosphere we have here. We all buy in, and we all work hard. It’s a great bunch of guys.”

Getting Bailey’s deal done should allow the Chiefs to turn their full attention toward keeping linebacker Justin Houston and keeping that great bunch of guys together a little bit longer. With 2012 first-round defensive tackle Dontari Poe also in the fold, it’s a strong foundation to build around for a Chiefs team that is now 18-8 since Andy Reid took over as head coach.

KANSAS CITY, MO. — The Chiefs and Allen Bailey agreed to a four-year, $25 million contract extension Saturday that could keep the defensive end playing in Kansas City through the 2018 season.

The former third-round pick is guaranteed $15 million and will receive a $10 million signing bonus, a source told FOX Sports 1 NFL Insider Mike Garafolo.Pro Football Talk was the first to report that a deal was in place.

''We are happy that we were able to reach an agreement to keep Allen in Kansas City,'' general manager John Dorsey said in a statement Saturday. ''He has developed into a good football player and a key member of our defense.''

The 25-year-old Bailey has had a breakout season for the Chiefs, starting all nine games and establishing a career-high four sacks. He's helped the Chiefs deal with season-ending injuries to starters Derrick Johnson and Mike DeVito and still become one of the NFL's best defenses.

Garafolo said although Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston leads the NFL in sacks with 12, he is making $1.4 million this season because the two sides haven't been able to strike a deal.

The Chiefs (6-3), winners of six of their past seven, ranked first in the league against the pass and seventh in total defense heading into Sunday's game against Seattle.

''Allen's had a really good year and he made a big jump a year ago, I thought, in football and knowing what's going on,'' Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Suttons said recently. ''He's obviously a very gifted guy athletically. Like I say, he could play 80 plays every week and never get tired. He and (Dontari) Poe are very similar in that way.''

Bailey played mostly in sub packages his first three seasons out of Miami, but he was thrust into a bigger role this season. His mammoth size -- 6-foot-3, 280 pounds -- and uncanny speed make him a dangerous pass rusher on the defensive line, and gives opposing offenses another player to worry about along with talented outside linebackers Houston and Tamba Hali.

Bailey is on pace for nearly eight sacks this season, which would be the most for a Chiefs defensive lineman since Jared Allen had 15 1/2 sacks during the 2007 season.

''The arrow's up,'' Sutton said. ''Got really good athleticism. One thing that's really great for us is those two inside guys, they can make a lot of plays chasing things down and that doesn't happen a lot.

''A lot of times you're not fortunate enough to have that kind of player. You might have a big sturdy guy in there that maybe can't make the plays outside. These two guys can chase screen plays down, wide plays and they really help your defense.''

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Chiefs have been missing four defensive starters because of injuries since early in the season, so they needed help from unexpected places to keep things from collapsing on that side of the ball.

One player who has done that is end Allen Bailey. Mostly a situational pass rusher in his first three seasons with the Chiefs, Bailey is not only a starter but doesn’t come out of the lineup much. He has played almost as many snaps this season as Pro Bowl nose tackle Dontari Poe.

“He made a big jump a year ago I thought in football and knowing what’s going on,’’ defensive coordinator Bob Sutton said of Bailey. “He’s obviously a very gifted guy athletically. He could play 80 plays a week and never get tired. He and Poe are very similar that way. Where’s he’s started to develop is he’s getting all the other things that come really from just playing. The last two years is the first time he’s really played a lot of snaps and this year obviously he’s playing almost all the snaps.’’

The Chiefs lost starting end Tyson Jackson during the offseason as a free agent but signed Vance Walker as his replacement. Bailey instead won the starting job and is now playing well enough that he has a strong grasp on it.

The Chiefs have played most of the season without the other regular starting end, Mike DeVito. He ruptured his Achilles tendon in the season opener and is out for the season.

Though Bailey isn’t DeVito’s replacement, his solid play has eased the loss. Bailey has 2.5 sacks, putting him on a pace for more than 7.5 for the season. That would be the highest total for a Chiefs defensive lineman since Jared Allen had 15.5 in 2007.

“One of the things that’s really great for us is that those two inside guys can make plays for us chasing things down,’’ Sutton said of Bailey and Poe. “That doesn’t happen a lot. A lot of times you’re not fortunate enough to have that kind of player. You maybe have a big, sturdy guy in there who maybe can’t make the plays outside. These two guys can chase screen plays down, wide plays, and they really help your defense.’’

Bailey is in the final season of the contract he signed with the Chiefs as a third-round draft pick in 2011. He’s playing well enough to deserve a new contract from the Chiefs at the end of the season.

Travel back to Week 1 for a second. Yes, I know, remembering that dumpster fire of a game against the Titans is painful. But I need you to get into the mindset for just a second.

You there? Suppress that vomit, you! Power through, you can do this! All right, now that you've retched your way into your mindset following that awful, awful loss, let me ask you a question.

What would you say if I told you that through Week 6, the Chiefs would have the fifth ranked defense in the NFL in points allowed despite only having three total takeaways (INT/FUM) and losing Eric Berry to injury midway through their second game?

You'd tell me I was insane, right? After all, we'd just witnessed Jake Locker and the Titans hang roughly a thousand points on the Chiefs without all that much difficulty. The secondary looked problematic, the pass rush looked problematic, the run defense looked problematic ... the word of the day was "problematic."Never mind that the Chiefs had dates with the Broncos, Patriots, and 49ers prior to that date. Every one of those teams has a more potent offense than the Titans, and looked primed to shred a struggling Chiefs defense. Mike DeVito was gone. Derrick Johnson was gone. The entire secondary (minus Husain Abdullah) had just gotten handled in a way that looked very, very repeatable. Times were grim.

Yet here we are, five weeks later, and the Chiefs are indeed ranked fifth in the NFL in points per game allowed at 20.2 points per game being given up (it says something about the "new" NFL when 20.2 points per game allowed leads to a top five ranking). That includes holding offensive powerhouses New England and Denver both to under their season averages by a decent margin (New England, in particular, had nothing but a pair of garbage time touchdowns to boast about).

So ... how is that happening? Without Eric Berry, Derrick Johnson, or Mike DeVito? And no, the answer isn't "The Chiefs defense is better without those guys." That's an insane theory I've seen regarding one of those players, and it's asinine enough that I refuse to acknowledge its existence. Those three players are all better (two of them significantly so) than the players they've got replacing them. So what's happening?

Well, a few things could be pointed to for an answer. Sean Smith is playing really solid football. Ron Parker has been significantly better at safety than he was at cornerback (how it took the coaches this long to put him at safety is beyond me. Great speed, terrible at mirroring routes). Tamba Hali and Justin Houston have been doing their thing and terrorizing quarterbacks. Husain Abdullah has been playing out of his mind.

All of those have been important factors, but it's the pass rush that stands out as the principle reason the defense has been highly competitive (despite the defense struggling against the run, giving up 4.8 yards per carry. We'll worry about that another day). In fact, the Chiefs pass rush has been arguably the most efficient in the NFL this season.

The Chiefs are currently tied for seventh in the NFL with 15 sacks. On the surface that's good, but not great. However, as always, looking at base stats themselves doesn't tell the story accurately. Because some teams (including the Chiefs) but not others have taken their bye week, those numbers are skewed.

A more accurate method would be to look at passes attempted per sack. The Chiefs have only had opposing quarterbacks attempt 159 passes against them. No other team in the top 10 for sacks has had fewer than 193 passes attempted. Obviously, more passes attempted means more opportunities for a sack. In fact, only two teams, Oakland and St. Louis, have seen fewer pass attempts than the Chiefs. Those teams have five sacks and one sack, respectively.

When you instead look to see how many passes opposing teams attempt per sack, the numbers are starkly different. The Chiefs sack the quarterback every 10.6 pass attempts. Only the Lions (with a sack every 10.35 pass attempts) are getting to the quarterback at a higher rate.

In other words, the Chiefs (despite playing the legendarily tough-to-sack Fivehead) are sporting a pair of the two best pass rushes in the NFL.

And that's where we get to the point (700 words later). While a great deal of credit needs to go to the ridiculous duo of Houston / Hali, this year has been slightly different when it comes to the Chiefs pass rush. And that difference has started with a player most of us had given up on: Allen Bailey.

Last year I finally made peace with the fact that Bailey was a decent run defender who would forever be a liability against the pass. Despite constantly seeing individual matchups due to the presence of Dontari Poe, Bailey was generally unable to generate any pressure of his own when quarterbacks dropped back to pass. Teams picked up on this, and over the second half of the season last year quarterbacks benefited from beautiful pockets as Poe was double teamed and Bailey was stonewalled.

This year has been markedly different. Bailey already as 2.5 sacks through five games, or 250 percent of his production last year for the ENTIRE SEASON (yeah, it's only an increase by 1.5 sacks. But 250 percent sounds way better, no?). While Bailey is being credited with "hurries" and "hits" at about the same rate as last year per ProFootballFocus, he's simply been more impactful this season when rushing the passer.

Look no further than the third quarter of the 49ers game if you want to see the havoc Poe and Bailey have been causing. One of the primary reasons the Niners weren't able to do much on offense in that quarter is the Chiefs interior defenders were terrorizing Colin Kaepernick when he dropped back to pass.Last year Bailey couldn't be counted on to help Poe finish plays. So even if Poe was able to get penetration, quarterbacks were able to move away and either scramble or complete the pass from an open area in the pocket. Not so this season.

Again, go back to the third quarter of the Niners game. That's where Bailey picked up a sack and a half. On both plays, Poe was right beside him causing chaos (including this life-altering club on Alex Boone, which will never get old). Bailey actually wasn't even the principle issue for the Niners on either sack; that would be Poe.

But that's the thing: the Chiefs don't NEED Bailey to be the primary disruptor in the inside. All the need is for him to be able to beat individual matchups often enough to make teams pay for doubling Poe, or that he at least be able to get free to chase down quarterbacks Poe / Hali / Houston have forced to move out of the pocket. Last season, Bailey doesn't clean up on Poe's massive club because he wasn't able to separate himself from blockers as plays broke down. This y/ear, he's been just a little bit stronger, a little bit faster, and a little bit more decisive.

Additionally, Bailey has shown a newfound ability to successfully participate in stunts this season in tandem with Poe. The shared sack of Kaepernick is a demonstration of this. Poe drives right and takes the left guard and left tackle with him, if only momentarily. Bailey, with speed he seems to have re-discovered this season, sprints to the gap and gets hit by Frank Gore and the left guard, who recovers nicely.

In the meantime, Poe (because he's Poe) has discarded the left tackle with a club and is headed toward Kap with bad intentions. The left guard sees this and tries to move toward Poe, only to be pushed off balance by a well-timed shove from Bailey. Gore, because he was forced to help with Bailey on the stunt, doesn't get into his route on time and isn't open until Kap is about to get hit by Poe and Bailey. Shared sack for Poe and Bailey.

A handful of local children got a chance to witness the rarest of sights Tuesday evening — nose tackle Dontari Poe, all 346 pounds of him, lining up as a cornerback and trying to defend passing routes.

This was the scene at the Chiefs’ practice facility, as Poe and fellow defensive lineman Allen Bailey helped the team and Pro Football Hall of Fame tackle Anthony Muñoz host an NFL Play 60 character camp for area youth in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.

The mission of the event was to make a positive impact on youth through teaching football skills, emphasizing exercise and reinforcing the importance of character in athletics and life. The event was run in collaboration with USA Football and their NFL Flag curriculum, which introduces children to football by teaching basic skills in a noncontact setting.

And in the middle of all of it was Poe, who let the kids take turns trying to catch a pass on him.

“The kids are always a good time, man,” Poe said. “(They have) no problems, no worries. They’re just about one thing — having fun. I feed off their energy.”

Poe hoped his positive attitude during the event left a lasting impression on the kids.

“Kids are sponges; they soak up a lot,” Poe said. “Any positivity I can bring to them, I know it goes a long way.”

The Chiefs continue to champion the Play 60 message of eating right, staying active and living healthy lifestyle with numerous outreach events and activities each season. In fact, last year alone these efforts encouraged local youth to be active for an estimated 2.5 million minutes.

Bailey said he and Poe enjoyed hosting the event because it broke up a monotonous football schedule.

“Ordinarily, we’re playing with grown men, so it’s fun seeing a kid smile, see them laugh,” Bailey said. “It’s a nice breather from the busy daily schedule we have from 8:30 in the morning to 5:30 in the afternoon.”

Allen Hurns, Jaguars: Hurns caught four passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns. He became the first undrafted rookie to catch two touchdowns in his first game since the New York Giants’ Bobby Johnson in 1984. Two catches, two touchdowns, Hurns became the second NFL rookie to ever do that, joining Detroit’s Charles Rogers. Hurns also ended up playing the 2nd most amount of snaps among WRs behind Antonio Brown. Hurns has out-produced both receivers the Jaguars selected in the second round of the NFL draft in May. Not bad for an undrafted rookie

Andre Johnson, Texans: Johnson moved past Redskins legend Art Monk into 16th place in NFL history in receiving yards. Johnson, who hauled in six passes for 93 yards, has 12,754 yards in his 12 professional seasons.

Frank Gore, 49ers : Gore just the 29th running back in NFL history to reach the 10,000-yard mark, and just the 10th to eclipse the milestone with one franchise. With a four-yard run in the third quarter, Gore became one of just three active running backs in the 10,000-yard club. He is also just the second #proCane to do it; Edgerrin James ranks 10th all-time with 12,279 yards.

Devin Hester, Falcons: The Falcons promised to use Hester also as a WR this season, and so far they have fulfilled that promise. Hester caught 5-of-6 targets for 99 yards in the Falcons' Week 1 win over the Saints.

Seantrel Henderson, Bills: Henderson, who was drafted in seventh round of the year’s NFL Draft started his first NFL game in week 1 beating out 2nd round Bills draft pick Cyrus Kouandjo.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ decision to not offer Tyson Jackson a monster free-agent contract last offseason is leading to an opportunity for Allen Bailey.

Bailey, a four-year defensive end out of Miami (Fla.), is expected to step into a starting role this season for defensive coordinator Bob Sutton.

Seeing more time last season, Bailey feels even more confident with the fresh defensive scheme that Sutton brought in upon being hired last year.

“It’s my second year in the defense so I’m a lot more comfortable with it. It makes it a lot easier,” Bailey said. “Being around the same guys as last year helps.”

Listed at 6-foot-3, 288 pounds, Bailey said he is pushing around 300 pounds since arriving at training camp after beefing up this offseason.

“I feel good out there,” he said. “I’m just trying to stay healthy and get better.”

Bailey will fill in for Jackson, now on a five-year $25 million contract with Atlanta, who provided a consistent threat on the Chiefs’ defensive line. In his five seasons in Kansas City, Jackson averaged 39.8 tackles per year before agreeing to join the Falcons, where former Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli works.

Bailey is coming off a career-best 25 tackles and one sack in 15 games in 2013.

Defensive end Allen Bailey has been a role player for the Chiefs throughout his first three NFL seasons, appearing primarily in nickel situations.

Entering his fourth year, Bailey — who has appeared in 41 games but made only four starts — has taken over the starting reps at left defensive end early in training camp. It’s a welcome promotion for the former third-round pick out of Miami (Fla.).

“My first couple of years, I was kind of a role player, a third-down guy,” said Bailey, who is filling the void left by Tyson Jackson’s departure. “I added on to it last year, playing a little more base end, but now I want to be a complete player, an every-down guy. This year, I’m looking for a more all-around role.”

Bailey, 25, packed on a few pounds in preparation for more extensive duty. His playing weight last season was 288 pounds, but he’s now up to 300 pounds.“It’s really to help out with the run game,” Bailey said. “I needed to bulk up a little bit. Playing inside at 280 is a little rough.”

Bailey used a meal service to help him put on weight in the right way. Deliver Lean created a high-carb, high-protein diet that helped him add those pounds.“I wasn’t eating Little Debbie cakes all day,” he joked. “But the key was, I put on the weight, then it was time to transform the weight, so your body could get used to it and you could get into football shape with the weight. That’s the next step now.”

The Chiefs won’t practice in pads until today, but the early returns are encouraging.

“I’ve been real impressed with him,” Chiefs defensive lineman Mike DeVito said of Bailey. “You can see he’s moving well and he’s using that power to his advantage. Just like (Mike) Catapano, Bailey’s been adding weight, but they keep their athleticism, keep their strength, keep their agility and all that stuff.”Bailey also expects to benefit from having a year’s experience in defensive coordinator Bob Sutton’s defense.

“I’m more comfortable, because you know a lot more and feel like you can do a lot more in it,” Bailey said. “You know the ins and outs of the defense, so it’s a little advantage.”

All has been quiet on the Kansas City Chiefs front as of late- the team has made no big moves in draft or free agency. Guys like Tyson Jackson and Brandon Flowers have come and gone, and new guys like Vance Walker have arrived.

Training camp is right around the corner- July 24th is the start of the roller coaster ride we call the NFL season. Much has been looked at this offseason about what the Chiefs may not have done in the offseason, but it’s time to turn the page and look at what some players have done.

Allen Bailey, the Georgia boy, has had quite the offseason that has gone a little too far under the radar. Bailey has played the majority of his NFL career in the 280′s coming in as a rotational linemen. All that is about to change as Tyson Jackson was given chance after chance to perform up to his draft status, but never broke through completely, resulting in the Chiefs moving on.

Bailey is one of the guys that will be assigned with replacing Jackson who just never lived up to the lofty expectations that being drafted number three overall brings. With Jackson gone, Bailey has looked at this offseason has a golden opportunity. This still-young player from middle of no where Georgia is ready to make the next step.

To Bailey that first step was packing on a few extra pounds to his smaller frame- Bailey has recently joined the 300 club. He says he has kept the same speed and agility he always had, but has now packed on the extra weight to be a force on running downs as well.

Training camp will be an essential time for Bailey, this is his time to shine. He will receive plenty of first team reps and will be given every opportunity to be a starter or a guy that is a regular in the line rotation. During OTA’s he did nothing but impress coaches.

At the very least Bailey is a guy to root for. This is a young guy from a small town with population under 100. He grew up hunting and fishing, and he’s no city kid looking for the spotlight. This is a blue collar kid that grew up fighting and earning everything he has ever gotten.

Should I mention this guy is a legend around where he is from? He was rumored to have killed an alligator with a shovel. Turns out that is no rumor as Bailey has confirmed that report during multiple different interviews.

What is not to love about this young player? He comes into the league as a 3rd round pick and has had to be patient with his playing time. It is not easy to dethrone a player that’s slated ahead of you when they were drafted number 3 overall. They will be given every opportunity imaginable to succeed, much more so than a 3rd rounder will be given that chance.

Instead of complaining, Bailey has gotten bigger and stronger every offseason. When his number is being called this training camp to prove he belongs in the starting line-up, what does he do? He goes out, bulks up so he is no longer just a specialist player but has now transformed himself into a potential every down player.

Allen Bailey has all of the intangibles to be the next starting defensive linemen for this team, he is physically there and mentally he wants it more than anything. Watch for this guy this training camp, #97 will be everywhere.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Now here's a switch: While the rest of his teammates have been trying to drop weight like it was a bad habit, Allen Bailey is going the opposite direction.

"Double protein," the Kansas City Chiefs defensive end says with a grin. "Chicken and protein. And steak, man."

Actually, make that two. Medium rare.

"To help moreso with the run," Bailey explains. "I was a little light the last couple years, so I put on a little weight."

Last fall, the 6-foot-3 Bailey was working in the 280-285-pound range, and comfortably. But he wanted to become more of a fixture on first and second down, rushing downs, as well as have the weight to be able to work inside -- a la teammate Dontari Poe, a Pro-Bowl nose tackle -- if the Chiefs go "small" and shift an outside linebacker to a hand-on-the-ground slot along the line of scrimmage.

"Still got my same speed and agility; just added a little more weight to it," the former Miami (Fla.) standout says "That's it."

Like Dwayne Bowe and Mike DeVito, who changed what and how they eat, Bailey changed up his meal plan, hooking up with a service in south Florida called DeliverLean that sent entrees to his home. The end result: Roughly a dozen more pounds on his frame than in January, same burst.

"Over 300 (pounds)," he says, patting a belly that doesn't show it. "You can't tell, but I'm pushing (the) 300 Club up there.

"Yeah, that meal plan really did it to me. I was kind of surprised when I came back (to Kansas City), what my weight was, because I don't weigh myself that much in the offseason. So when we came back (here) with (organized team activities), I went, 'Oooooh.'"

More Oooooh: For the past three weeks, it has been Bailey, and not free-agent signee Vance Walker, eating up most of what used to be Tyson Jackson's snaps with the first-team defense, alongside Poe and DeVito.

"My mindset was just coming in and just earning it -- just earning everything, right from the beginning," says Bailey, who played in 15 games last fall, starting three, with a sack and three pass break-ups.

"It's all competition. Everybody's in a competition ... that's part of what makes it fun. Competition should be fun. Make it all competitive and have fun with it."

Based on several metrics, Bailey might be more than worth his weight -- whatever that weight happens to be. The Georgia native played on 453 total defensive snaps last fall, according to ProFootballFocus.com (PFF), the third-highest count among Chiefs linemen, and second among Chiefs defensive ends to the now-departed Jackson. FootballOutsiders.com credited the ex-Hurricane with appearing on 39.5 percent of the team's defensive snaps last fall, the same percentage as DeVito.

Of players who appeared on at least 25 percent of their club's defensive plays last fall, Bailey wound up among PFF's Top 25 3-4 defensive ends in tackles (18th, with 26), quarterback hurries (18th, with 19), and 'stops' (solo tackles 'which constitute an offensive failure'; 23rd, with 19). His overall PFF grade of +8.5 was good for 21st among 3-4 defensive ends -- and ahead of more celebrated peers such as the Niners' Ray McDonald (+7.7), the Ravens' Chris Canty (+7.4) and the Cardinals' Darnell Dockett (+2.4).

On PFF's chart of the top Run-Stop 3-4 defensive ends in pro football, among those who appeared on at least 25 percent of their team's snaps, Bailey's 'stops' percentage of 11.6 ranked fourth overall -- behind only Houston's J.J. Watt (13.7), Cleveland's Billy Winn (13.4) and Philadelphia's Cedric Thornton (12.4), and better than the likes of the Jets' Sheldon Richardson (9.8) and Arizona's Calais Campbell (9.3), Justin Smith (8.3), and even Jackson himself (8.1).

"It's a different feel in the room now with him being gone, I can't lie," Bailey says. "It's a different feel, but we're all about getting to know the new group of guys and go on from there."

FootballOutsiders.com's log credits Jackson with 500 defensive snaps and 45 percent of the Chiefs' total defensive plays last season, the highest of any lineman save for Poe (87.8 percent). Basically, that means there's a hole up front for someone to fill -- on and off the field.

"The opportunity's there," Bailey says. "So I'm just looking to take it."

Well, that and seconds. Big 97's plan is to shoot a little past the 300 Club now, maybe put on a few more pounds during the roughly month-long gap between the end of OTAs and mini-camp and the start of preseason camp -- then let the sauna that's St. Joe in August work off the rest.

"I want to be on the field as much as possible," Bailey says. "That's the goal, right?"

Over the past three seasons, the Chiefs’ D-line has been the rock of its defensive success. Even in the darkest days of the 2011 season, the big boys up front were able to consistently shut down the run. In 2013, the unit jumped ahead, largely due to the development of NT Dontari Poe and DE Tyson Jackson — both questionable picks from the previous regime that took a while to hit their stride.

But while Poe and TJax were putting on a show, the team’s third defensive end, Allen Bailey, quietly showed this season that he has has been developing as well. With limited resources and needs in other areas, I think it’s time that Bailey gets his chance to start.

In 2013, Bailey continued to play a depth role on the D-line, and actually got fewer snaps in the rotation that he would have for most other NFL teams as Poe rarely came off the field, and even TJax developed into a three-down player. Nonetheless, this season was by far his most productive with 30 tackles, a sack and two tipped passes. In his only game as a starter — the JV game against San Diego that was won by the NFL Referees Association — he shined.

Pro Football Focus gave him a grade of +4.1 for the game, in which he led the team with 9 tackles. Only DE Mike DiVito had a better one-game tackle total for a Chiefs D-lineman last year with 10 against the Bills. In a sign of his progression, Bailey also led the D-line in tackles the week before against Indianapolis, and PFF also noted strong performances by him in Week’s 5 and 12.

Of course, a few good performances does not a season make and Bailey has big shoes to fill (not just literally) if Jackson departs. TJax ended the season with PFF’s 6th highest rating among interior D-linemen that are set to hit free agency. Also, at 28, he is one of the youngest high-end veterans available at the position. In other words, even with money being no issue, it will be hard for the Chiefs to hold onto Jackson, and with good reason.

But, money is an issue, and while Jackson admirably took a pay cut in the past, I think his agent would resign if he tried to limbo low enough to stay with the Chiefs. His current salary of $4.2 million is more than the total cap space that the team has available, and, while few will deny he was overpaid, the Chiefs can’t even afford to bring him back at half price and still fill other holes.

So, beyond the fact that I think Bailey is deserving of a shot as a starter, promoting him may be necessary as a business decision. At 24, he has his best football ahead of him and is in a contract year, so he will be motivated to make the most of his opportunity. Of course, promoting him will create a need for depth at DE, but the team should be able to bring in a sub-million-dollar player or a mid-round pick to do the job. Also, DE Mike Catapano showed some stuff in that Week 17 game, so I don’t think depth should be an urgent worry there.

With the first round of the NFL playoffs complete, some proCanes were sent home packing while others continue their quest for a Super Bowl ring.

With the New Orleans Saints defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, Jimmy Graham and Jon Vilma (IR) advance to the next round of the playoffs to take on the proCane-less Seattle Seahawks. Go Saints! The Eagles lost because they didn’t have any proCanes.

Two proCanes were sent home with the Kansas City Chiefs losing a thriller to the Indianapolis Colts. DL Allen Bailey and TE Richard Gordon were sent home while Reggie Wayne (IR) will continue to help his team from sidelines in their next game versus the New England Patriots who have proCane DL Vince Wilfork who is also on IR.

The San Francisco 49ers behind the solid running of proCane RB Frank Gore ended up defeating the Green Bay Packers who lost proCane DB Sam Shields in the first quarter of their defeat. The 49ers will face the Carolina Panthers who have proCane TE Greg Olsen on the field and QB Coach Ken Dorsey on the sidelines. The Packers also have scouts Glenn Cook and Alonzo Highsmith on their staff as well as Winston Moss.

The Chargers who don’t have a proCane and defeated the proCane-less Bengals (boooooring), will face the Denver Broncos with their solid proCane offensive lineman Orlando Franklin.

Allen Bailey has been a bit of a forgotten man in the Kansas City Chiefs defense. The third-year defensive end came into the league the same year as Justin Houston but it's been Houston, not Bailey, who has made a leap as a pass rusher.

Don't tell that to Bailey, though. He said on this podcast, The Trapasso Report, that his goal is a 10-plus sack season.

"Of course staying healthy," Bailey said when asked his goals for the 2013 season. "Then try to get a 10-plus sack season. Rolling into my third year, with a new defense that's more of an attack defense that allows you to make a lot more plays, I'm setting myself up with a 10-plus sack season."

Bailey has one career sack so that would be one hell of a jump if he surpassed 10 sacks. Tamba Hali and Justin Houston rushing from the edges, Allen Bailey putting up 10 sacks ... now THAT would be a hell of a defense.

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